North Shore Runfest 10K, Salem

Notch Brewing and Notch Run Club was hosting the USATF New England 10K Road Race Championship in Salem. The forecast of cooler temperatures (60’s) and rain was spot on but did not dampen the spirit of over 900 pre-registered runners for the 9AM start on Congress Street. I ran a chip time of 52:49 (8:29 / mile pace) a year ago. I felt that a goal of 8:00 pace was possible with a 5K time trial four days ago of the same effort. 

I warmed up for about a mile before getting into the start line around peers who would be breaking 50 minutes. The course headed down Derby Street, through the Salem Willows, coming back to central Salem taking the mile 3 spot near the Hawthorne Hotel with and average of 7:50 per mile. Mission accomplished but many puddles and only have way done. Heading down Lafayette Street got me thinking about the Salem State College days – a long time ago, seeing the Sullivan Building in the distance before heading into Forest River Park where many xc workouts took place with the team. Mile splits turned into the low 8’s from there to the finish line with quiet back roads parallel to Lafayette Street. 

I crossed the new finish line, now steps away from Notch Brewing with a chip time of 49:36 (7:58 / mile pace). I placed 50^th out of 69 in the old guy category. I felt good about the effort. Good work in planning for, well, I guess some cross country race distances from 5K to 8K in the next two plus months into the fall. 

Splits: 744, 753, 752, 800, 810, 810, 743 (last .24) 

North Shore Runfest 10K 2025 Full Results

Old Goat Track Club XC Classic USATF New England Grand Prix #1

I headed out to Waters Farm in Sutton, MA for the first USATF New England Grand Prix XC race of 2025 season with Donald Withee and Shaun Conway as Notch had six 50+ guys signed up. The Old Goat Track Club XC Classic 5K has been kicking off the Grand Prix over the last few years in late August. The weather was sunny and in the mid-70’s for the 11AM men’s start. I was the last Notch guy heading into the opening woods loop but not too far from Brian Davis (Manchester Essex Regional Middle High School XC/Track coach). 

I got around him after the 2^nd loop in the woods and managed to keep a few runners tracking me in the last mile into the 24:00 finish, 12 seconds behind the ageless, 70 year old Paul Bazanchuk from CMS. I finished 83^rd out of 102 men. I felt good about my race/effort which felt consistent while the splits show slowing per mile with 7:43, 8:00, 8:10. I compared the 2025 race to my 2023 race (24:12 for 3.2 miles). The 2025 course was shorter by 0.17 miles per my measurement as I captured 3:03 miles. I was the 5^th Notch runner for the senior team which placed 1^st in the Senior Team category. Going forward, I plan on getting to a few more XC races this season. 

2025 Old Goat Track Club XC Classic Results 

Waters Farm, Sutton MA  -  8/24/25

5k MALE 50+ TEAM SCORE

1.    15  Notch Run Club 

=======================================================

1      1  JASON WERTZ          20:49 

2      2  BRIAN JUNEAU         20:51 

3      3  DONALD WITHEE    21:00 

4      4  SHAWN CONWAY   22:13 

5      5  JAMES PAWLICKI     24:00 

6   (  9) BRIAN DAVIS             24:56

Lynn Woods Relay 2025

I was leg number 2 for the 4 X 2.5 mile Lynn Woods Relay, 2025 edition. The weather was comfortable, cool for August with the pavement damp from off and on rain. The course was fine inside the woods. Team Notch Cellarman wound up finishing 3^rd in the old guy category and or 19^th out of 82 total relay teams. The combined time added up to 1:11:05 behind 1^st place Wicked Vintage (1:07 and change) and The Bears Plus Two (Bridgewater State Alumni with guest Dmitri Drozdov) just 23 seconds behind. I ran 19:44, 3 ticks slower than last year. Mile splits were: 8:06, 8:30, 6:33 for the last 0.48. My watch time of 19:34 missed the first 10 seconds due to user error. Overall, a great fun event for all. 

2025 Lynn Woods Relay Reaults

19. NOTCH CELLARMEN (125) 1:11:05

  BILL POULIOT               17:05     17:05

  JIM PAWLICKI                36:49     19:44

  DON WITHEE                 53:56     17:07

  BRIAN JUNEAU          1:11:05     17:09

USATF New England 1 Mile Road Championships

I signed up my first road mile in decades. This was the USATF New England Road 1 Mile Championship in Hopkinton, MA. It was first run last year in 2024 and seemed a popular event over the Marathon Championship in terms of participation from the USATF members.

The cool part was that my race would be contested among Men's Masters/Seniors age grouping 40 through 59. The race course was a quarter of a mile away looking like an out and back with some elevation changes. The turn around at half way was an easy turn around an island, not a single cone. 

My goal was to run a 7 minute mile so get to 3:30 at the half. I ran about 87 seconds at the ¼ mile and clocked about 3:28 at the turn around which had a little climb to reach. I was spent on the return. I passed only one runner to the finish running a chip time of 7:07 or gun time of 7:10. I finished 98th out of 104 runners. Pretty humbling experience. 

The race was simple but out of my comfort zone. I ran a few more miles after the race after checking in on the Notch mates on how they fared. I checked out some trails behind the school before watching the men’s open, women’s masters and then women’s open races which was fun to watch as a spectator roadside.

40-59 Men's Masters Results

Video of my finish

Miles Over the Moon 4 mile

Krissy and I headed over to the Miles Over the Moon 4 mile in Salem. This is a Friday night race with a 7:30PM start. I wanted to chill out and save some legs for Sunday’s road mile. Splits were as follows: 8:51, 9:01, 9:21, 9:17. It was controlled throughout the course but still had the heart rate climb each mile to a high of 160 bpm average for the last mile. 

I ran some miles with friend, Al Amore Jr up until a half mile to go. I saw my first Salem State College XC/Track Coach, Steven Zcarnecki on Osgood Street. I gave him a hug as he jumped out when I acknowledged him. Great to see him. Popsicle’s awaited the runners at the finish line. Krissy’s must have handed out hundreds and even mine, grape flavor! 

Full results

Place	Name	Group	Place/Group	Chip Pace	Chip Time	Gun Time
177	James Pawlicki	Male 50-59	16/29	9:15 min/mile	37:04	37:20

 

St. Peter’s Fiesta 5K

Hit up the St. Peter’s Fiesta 5K on a cooler than usual Thursday, last of June. The previous three days were hot and humid. This was also part of the Notch race series for the year. Krissy and I parked near the draw bridge on the boulevard so within a quarter mile of the bib pickup and start line at the end of Stage Fort Park. The 5K course would finish 3/4 of a mile away in front of the meat of the Fiesta Festival and Carnival.

I filtered into the start, 20 rows already deep of kids and baby joggers. Despite the traffic of 1500 runners, I got over the start line mat and down the Boulevard without running over any wheel or two legged barrier. Huge crowd of locals, Gloucestonians(?) awaited at Festival Central. John Gillis, Nick Taormina yelled for me among the crowd. My heart warmed with pride to be healthy and able to run low 7:30 for the opening mile. 

The hills over Gorton’s and the mini industrial park grounded me into a low 8 min second mile. However, the legs rallied back to the finish line, seeing the previous crowds 3 deep was fascinating, felt different from my race here 20 years ago. 24:11 at the finish (chip time). Job done! 261st out of 1506 - healthy crowd for a road race on the North Shore. 11th old man in my age group. Not dead yet….

2025 St. Peter’s Fiesta 5K race results

Spring Classic 5K Cambridge

Cool (high 30’s) and cloudy ruled the air in Cambridge for the Spring Classic 5K. The course is flat thus in theory, fast. I ran this course back when it was a New England Grand Prix 5K Championship a decade ago. Team Notch was set up in the tent area. The quad was loaded with tents, probably over 40 made up of running clubs or local Cambridge companies. Cases of Castle Island piled under each tent.

Bib pickup was seamless and plenty of port-o-johns ready. I ran a 12 minute warm up and got into the start line 30 rows deep within a huge field (2.5K runners). After the start line pistol went off, the start was crowded for the first three turns all within the first .3 miles before reaching Mass Ave. I reached the mile at 7:27. I slowed during the second mile to a 7:53 but was well under the 8:00 minute per mile pace goal for the day. My right quad, the strong one, was burning in a good way.

The last mile slowed again to an 8:02 before opening up a bit for the last .17 at 7:10 pace. I crossed the finish line in 24:35 per my watch, measured 3.17 miles and 7:45 pace. The unofficial time had me at 23:34, 7:55 pace. My average heart rate was only 140 bpm for the event, well under the 160+ per race since getting back into it in February. Am I seeing fitness improve with my 18 miles run per week? I headed out for cool down out to the Charles River and a lap around the MIT track where I spent many workouts and races in the late 90’s early 2000’s.

Spring Classic 5K race results March 30, 2025